Who Can Benefit From Prolotherapy?
Regenerative medicine comes in all forms, including prolotherapy. Prolotherapy provides just as much pain relief for patients with severe joint pain.
Many people can benefit from prolotherapy who are living with conditions that affect their joints. It's a minimally invasive option when other treatments haven't provided significant relief.
Dr. Bryn J. Henderson and the Regenerative Medical Group team provide various cutting-edge pain treatments, including prolotherapy.
Dr. Henderson evaluates your joint pain and imaging studies to determine if you could significantly benefit from regenerative medicine and prolotherapy.
The facts on prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a great option when it comes to treating joint pain. It's a simple procedure Dr. Henderson performs monthly to treat joint pain and tissue injuries.
The prolotherapy procedure involves Dr. Henderson injecting an irritating solution into your tissues and joints. The irritant is usually dextrose, a type of sugar solution.
During the injection, Dr. Henderson cleans the area and injects the irritant into your body, usually with an anesthetic medication.
After the injection, you may notice results in as little as a few days to weeks. However, prolotherapy involves several monthly shots with maintenance injections for long-term relief.
Prolotherapy: How it works
Unfortunately, no one truly understands how prolotherapy works to decrease pain. The one standard theory is that the injection irritates the tissues enough to trigger an immune response to that area.
When the immune system responds, the body releases growth factors that aid in healing damaged tissues; however, there's no solid evidence proving this specific theory.
Another thought is that prolotherapy stimulates a placebo effect, making people feel better through the mere thought of the injection.
Some people have strong placebo effects when it comes to injections, which could be one reason people experience pain relief after prolotherapy.
Are you a good candidate?
You may benefit from prolotherapy if you're living with joint pain, tendinitis, or ligament injuries. Ultimately, the decision is up to you to undergo prolotherapy.
Dr. Henderson discusses your symptoms, medical history, and mechanism of injury to determine the best treatment route for you.
You might be a good candidate for prolotherapy if you have any of the following conditions, which include:
- Sports injuries
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendon injuries
- Chronic back pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Degenerative disc disease
Dr. Henderson discusses the pros and cons of prolotherapy to help you decide if it's the best treatment for your needs. He may combine prolotherapy with other treatments for optimal results.
Who shouldn't get prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a relatively safe treatment option for chronic or acute joint pain, but some limitations exist.
You should be healthy and not have an active infection at the time of the injections. Other reasons you may not be a candidate for prolotherapy include the following:
- Fractures
- Cellulitis
- Gout
- Septic arthritis
- Abscess
If you have any of the above conditions, discuss them with Dr. Henderson before considering prolotherapy. Failure to do so could result in worsening your condition or a widespread infection around the joint.
To learn more about how prolotherapy can help you, don't hesitate to call our office today. You can also request an appointment online.